To the ridicules.

 Once asked why do you watch birds. My reply I just like them. So after the RFF we come down to earth with a bump. Or is it a ball of fluff. No it's a HOUSE SPARROW.

The sublime

 It seems that this bird had taken up residence last Friday and had been miss identified. But not for long as it turned out to be a juvenile  RED FOOTED FALCON. To have such a bird so close to home is a gift but I made a decision that I would leave it till today as it is my birthday. So a call in was no disappointment. Of course this is no were near my first, not even for juvenile. But what a lovely bird to photograph. So I apologise for so many pic's.

 

Links Hill

 Call in with my mate and after weeks of no rain Links Hill car park had small pools of water. Earlier today a LITTLE GULL was seen North of Ness Point. So no surprise on arrival that the bird sat in a puddle. The bird would not look at me, perhaps there was something wrong with me. But evemtually it obliged. There was also 7 SANDWICH TERNS with one young bird being fed. Also a single MED GULL flew in but did not land. 

New visitor to the garden.

 Nature has a way of always giving and it happened again today. With the first ever SMALL COPPER which stayed long enough to get more than one pic. Which is unusual. It seemed to like my beetroot.

Carlton Marsh SWT

 Out again on very hot day with still no rain. When will it end. GWE and LE just couple of COMMON BUZZARD. The best was a late run SWIFT on its own and feeding well as was all the SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS. Nothing out of the usual but a very confinding KESTREL as can be seen by the pic's belowe.

 

Pathways Care Farm

 And so the time keeps on moving on, heading now to Autum as change is on the way. It has been such a hot summer with little or no rain. The ground so parched and grass so dry, what can work through all this in the wild. We just dream of rain. But out on the lake was the sound of the tacking of  BLACKCAP and the calling and viewing of two KINGFISHER caryying fish I assume to the young. A pair of COMMON BUZZARD and four HOUSE MARTINS above the farm was a welcome sight. As for the MUTE SWANS things have taken a turn sadly for the worde. The young are well on but the parents have left. Three young still on the lake but three are missing. They are about the farm but not good, and although they are being returned there must be an issue in regards to feed. In fact if you look at the water it is clear and vegitation in it. Is it again a result of this very hot weather. More than likly.

Carlton Marsh SWT

 The usual four hours out talking to folks out on the marsh. With nothing out of the usual but still very enjoyable to see scarse birds in the wild. The best was the very lonly CATTLE EGRET which is intent on staying around and also a very short but close necounter with a CETTI'S WARBLER. Also managed a serise pf photo's of a CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY. 

It turns out that this a variety of the species. The white back fore wing is only found in one in five hundred of females. Which makes it a HELICE version of the same.